Oyatsu: Japanese snacks between meals

Oyatsu

In Japanese, snacks between meals are called “oyatsu”, usually eaten around three o’clock.
Personally, I believe Japanese snacks and confectionery have the best taste and the largest selections in the world, although I sometimes miss Walkers crisps cheese and onion flavour.

[My oyatsu on one day]

-Puccho and mango lassi tea-

“Puccho”

A soft type candy like “Hi-chew” with small gummis.

-Close look of Puccho- Yellowish thing in a white soft candy is a muscat flavour gummi.

This one cost me nearly 200 yen.
Yes, expensive!
However I still bought this because of its package.

If you are a follower of Japanese manga / anime, you probably have heard of “Shingeki no Kyojin” (Attack on Titan).
The character on the package is one in the “Shingeki”, Levi.

Levi! Levi!

Japanese companies often practice this kind of collaboration with manga, idols, athletes and so on.
This one is with a free cellular strap (modern “netsuke”) of “Shingeki” in a small box attached to the product.

Well, what’s the strap like?
Open the box!

-Free cell-phone strap-

Ummm, S..Sa…Sasha…?

This was the biggest letdown to me lately.
I expected something which had at least a human figure, not a “mochi” (rice cake) with stick-like arms and legs.
Of course I noticed the images on the package, but I just ignored them, believing “These cannot be of free straps. Who would possibly think these could attract more customers with this price?”
Well, obviously the company thought they could.
What made worse was its muscat flavour, because I don’t like it!
I forgot to check the flavour before I bought it.

The word "Muscat flavour" is clearly printed...

Anyway, I won’t buy it ever again.
I like “Puccho” (depends on its flavour though), but I felt this one is a bit rip-off.

-Worth for money?-

“Mango lassi tea”

About 100 yen.
I like mango lassi at “Coco-Ichiban”, a Japanese curry franchise, so I grabbed it as soon as I saw this drink at a drugstore.
I was a bit disappointed when I drank it though.
Its taste was a little weaker.
Not bad, but not very good.

[My crispy oyatsu stock]

-Poteko, Vegips and Jagabee-

“Poteko”

A ring-shaped fried potato snack. At a discount shop, it costs less than 100 yen (1 US dollar).
“Oishii!” (Yummy!)

“Vegips”

A fried vegetable snack. Around 100 yen.
There are three kinds of “Vegips” as far as I know, and this one contains “sato-imo” (eddoe), “nin-jin” (carrot) and “gobou” (burdock).
I have no idea what this one is doing in my stock, as I don’t like any of those vegetables.

“Jagabee”

“Potato” is “Jaga-imo” in Japanese.
A French-fry shaped potato snack. Around 200 yen.
Five small packets inside.

“Oishii!” but “Takai!” (Expensive!)
In Hokkaido, a similar snack called “Jaga-pokkuru” is produced by the same company, Calbee.
I prefer “pokkuru”, but I can’t buy it at a local supermarket and it’s more expensive.

There are several flavours of “Jagabee”.
This one is butter and soy sauce flavour, and I was totally shocked when I noticed this contained chicken.*

* To vegetarians *
If you are vegetarians and cannot read Japanese, maybe it’s better to avoid Japanese snacks or to ask somebody who can read Japanese if products contain animal / fish origin ingredients.
I just don’t eat meat (Fish is OK), but still I can have only limited products, because many of them contain beef / pork / chicken extracts.

Other crisps (chips in USA) by “Calbee” and “Koike-ya”

Left: Koike-ya product Right: Calbee product

Calbee is probably the most famous crispy snack company in Japan.
It’s older than Koike-ya, but the first crisps in Japan was produced by Koike-ya in 1962.
In 1975, Calbee started to sell crisps.

These “stock” photos were taken sometime ago, so many of snacks have already become my fat.

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